I guess it all comes does to this question. When the bible says, “Love everyone” do you build in exceptions? Do you note asterisks?
I fervently believe that God loves me and my gay best friend equally and without reservation. This statement causes great strife in the Christian community. I am not here to convince you of my truth. I am here to sit more fully in it. To stay silent while the LGBTQ+ community – some of my closest friends – suffer is incongruent to who I am. I cannot believe that the God I serve would ever condone the unequal disbursement of His love.
God says love your neighbor as yourself. Without exception.
To love your neighbor as yourself means that you want the same freedoms and rights for your neighbors as you do for your own family. It means that you fight for the same healthcare, marital rights, and adoption opportunities for your neighbors as you do for yourself.
It does not translate to wanting the same for your neighbor except if they identify as LGBTQ+. No. That is not love. Love is limitless. It does not condone exceptions or egg shells to be walked on. Love is love. And God’s love – agape – is the purest of them all.
It is not enough to say we love our neighbors if we do not welcome them when they arrive at our table. We cannot kindly proclaim on social media that “God is love” if we withhold His love from certain individuals. At my core, the thought of God hand picking who gets access to His blessings does not sit well with me. It is not a narrative that I can subscribe to because it is not in alignment with the God that I serve.
I realize that writing these words is dangerous. It makes me highly susceptible to ample disagreeance from my Christian brothers and sisters. I have weighed these costs at length. However, it is worth it to me. Speaking my truth will always be worth it because staying silent sentences others to suffering.
Love others. Be Christlike. Illuminate light in a dark world. This is the God I serve. My calling is not to play judge or juror but rather, it is to be a reflection of His love on earth. And His love has no exceptions.